So 2 summers ago I added new chicks to my flock, and ever since they started laying they have been laying everywhere but in the coop, and then i lost quite a few this past yr. so now i am down to 5 girls and a Roo, they had pretty much stopped laying all this past winter, and if they did lay it was where we couldn't find the eggs, so my kids stopped going to get the eggs, well to my surprise i went out to the coop yesterday and there is at least 6 dozen or so out there all scattered in piles around our coop. but also to my amazement our young RIR has gone broody. she has made a nest in the corner of the coop and was setting on them. But when i threw some feed she got up to eat and i realized there is about 10 or so eggs she is setting on and they are all different colors so not all hers......this morning i went to check her and she had moved them about a ft or so to a "new" nest. SO i plan to go and throw out the other piles of eggs since i have no idea how old they are but i don't want to disturb her and have no idea how long she has been setting, so what should i do, should i start a countdown from yesterday for day 21, candle the eggs and see if i can see veins or chicks? Also there are so many will she be able to handle that many in a hatch? should i attempt to move her to a nest box or just let her continue her hatch on the coop floor?
